After dinner speech at AstroSoc annual dinner

[Glom]

Tonight, at the annual dinner of AstroSoc, we had an after dinner speech of Dr. Somak Raychaudery. It was rather good. I'll summarise some of the things he said.

He was pondering the question of why people pursue astronomy, physics and academia in general. He realised it was pursued by people who were socially inept. He looked at examples of people who won the Ignobel Prize. They included a group of Australians who did a study into dragging ship, a group who did a study into the more developed brain of a taxi driver, and a group who released a paper on how chickens prefer beautiful people. He said clearly they wouldn't survive in the real world in a normal 9-5 job.

He also described another drunken after dinner speaker who commented on a glass of wine and said that in the glass and the wine was all of the universe. All of the processes of the universe went in to making that glass of wine happen.

In the end, he said how proud he was to be an astronomer because of those he talks to who don't think he's an astrologer, they find more connection to his profession than a lot of other sciences because they have all looked at the sky at some point and wondered similar things that astronomers try to find out.

[Manchurian Taikonaut]

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[ToSeek]

MT, the BA has been on the warpath regarding posting images from other sites, so you might want to reconsider.

[Manchurian Taikonaut]

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[Cougar]

He was pondering the question of why people pursue astronomy, physics and academia in general. He realised it was pursued by people who were socially inept.

Not a very scientifically supportable statement, but perhaps a humorous hypothesis so people can laugh at themselves....

In the end, he said how proud he was to be an astronomer because of those he talks to who don't think he's an astrologer....

Reminds me of a quote by Tony Rothman....

"Recently at a New York cocktail party, a young physicist was asked how he made his living and he replied that he was by specialty a cosmologist. While it might be debated whether cosmology constitutes a "living," his host remained undeterred and immediately inquired if it would be possible to make an appointment for a manicure and a haircut."